Hi Everyone,

First "real" post (other than begging a carfax yesterday ) and I wanted to introduce myself here and my current dilemma.

I'm 32 and when I first read of the S2000 forever ago (it's forever since I still don't have one!) it moved something in me -- which is odd since I've always been a sportbike guy ('95 CBR600F3, '97 GSX-R600, '99 TL-1000R -- all became history due to theft and/or marriage -- and guess what? I'm now single so it's time.).

I'm also practical, responsible, logical (I'm a programmer) and this is my dilemma:

I own my condo and have to park outside -- so the thought of buying a new '05 and leaving it outside kills me! So I've been looking used and found a few prospects...but have all the usual pros/cons buying new vs used.

Having been a victim of theft way too often (now I live in a good area and it's less of a concern...all my bikes were stolen while in a college town - Gainesville, FL but don't hold that against me), I'm still hesitant.

A car cover is an option, but to be realistic, will I really use it as often as I should? How much of a pain would it be to take on and off by myself? Can it be secured easily?

So, I've got the cash to put down, financing set up, and I'm now officially "car shopping" this weekend -- and have a 2002 S2000 lined up to check out. It has 23,000 miles but *just* out of warranty...

Wish me luck, thanks for reading, and I hope to adopt soon!
A(ndrew)J(ohn) -- hereafter ~AJ

 

Good Luck AJ. I've had my 2002 S2000 since November 2004 and right now it has 19,500 miles on it, I am a practical guy too in someways. I think you will really enjoy this car. I love driving, reving, and drifting, so this is the perfect car for that. I think if you are a sports bike guy you will really enjoy take the long way home or driving around the block one more time before parking it. At lease for me that is what I do.

 

Welcome. It sounds like you're a perfect future S owner. I wouldn't worry about parking outside. I used to when I first had mine but now, I park it outside in down town Atlanta overnight about 3 times a week. I'm never fearful that someone will break in. If they do, that's just a new 'vert top or seats or what ever for me and no marks against my insurance.

Speaking of impractical, I mountain bike about 3-4 times a week, I play drums in a band that plays shows 2-3 a month, I auto-x about 30 times a year and I don't have any other car. Ha ha ha... I do have a trailer though. That get's my bike around and the race tires. I usually have to borrow my finance's Civic Si to carry the drums.

It's all about the drive man. Strap it on.

 

If you buy used, get an S with the Certified Pre-Owned warranty. My only concern with the S is its long-term reliability due to the dynamics of the car. As for theft, cars are a *bit* harder to steal than bikes, so I wouldn't worry. There's nothing that can compare to owning a convertible though.

 

What are you talking about? This is a practical car. The practical guy usually only hangs out with one friend at a time so you don't really need four seats. The practical guy knows how to pack light and efficient so he doesn't need alot of trunk space. The practical guy wants efficiency so he buys a four cylinder (like the S), but he doesn't sacrifice power as a saftey feature (which the S has). The practical guy doens't waste alot of money on stereo equipment, which is good b/c the S has no room for that. Finally, the practical guy is usually single and doesn't depend on getting a nice car to take girls out in, so he gets a convertible sports car How much closer to what you want can you get?

BTW, if you're concerned about security, get a hardtop for it along with an alarm that has a bright flashing light and you should be ok.

 

As for theft, lojack is great for piece of mind. It's no guarantee, but if it's stolen, you can be reasonably sure that they'll get it back that day. Worst case, that's what insurance is for.

I went with a new 05, but I have garage parking. If you're disciplined with money, buy used and make "payments" to a seperate savings account for the difference. That way, you'll have more than enough to cover outdoor parking issues, put a new top on and a new coat of paint after a few years if you want, and still have money left over.

What's your current car? I kind of wish I had kept the Civic for the few times I need to drive more than one passenger or transport something bigger than a carry on suitcase, so if keeping the old car is practical , I'd highly recommend it.

Go for it, and don't look back.

 

That makes absolute perfect sense!

Thanks for all the replies everyone -- believe it or not, joining this Forum, being a part of the S2K community only adds to the appeal of this car. This is, overall, the most positive internet forum I've ever read consistently.

~AJ

Oh, I'm not so much worried about the car being stolen as I am about not being able to tuck it in each night in a cozy garage -- leaving it out against the elements seems so...harsh!

Then again, I live in Clearwater, FL, so our "winters" are nice and balmy.

 

You guys are fast...

My current car is a 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT (don't laugh, it's been great)...the wife got my 2001 Tacoma (TRD, v-6, etc.) when we got engaged since she couldn't drive a stick...and of course after the divorce, she got the truck and I'm stuck with the Hyundai.

~AJ

 

Before I bought my S I was house shopping for a place with a garage because I was in the market for an E46. About 2 weeks before placing my first offer, my Mitsubishi was stollen. I got discouraged and decided I wasn't ready to deal with the hassle of an M3........

I ended up buying a place with Carports and driving an insurance rental for 2 months.

I decided to get the S and have since parked it in the Car port with no problems..... I did the car cover routine for about all of 2 weeks.... Now I just wash her 2wice a week.

My point is.........I've had 2 Mitsubishi's stollen in 4 years and It didn't stop me from buying a brand new MY04. I park it in my car port and have "Lo Jack" with upgraded OEM alarm.

Life's too short to live in fear of what COULD happen.....

Buy your S.......and enjoy it!!!

 

As cool of a car as it is, jsut get over not putting into a garage. That's what I did. I wish I'd had a second car and a garage from the beginning, but the fact is (especially with you being in FL), the joy of driving it all the time far outweighs the feeling that you're somehow not treating it right. Over the summer, I was driving an hour to a project every day and was able to expense a rental car. But you wouldn't believe how tough it was each morning, deciding which car to take. Usually in the morning, I was fine with driving the Nissan Sentra rental, but on the drive home everyday, I wish it the the Inspector Gadget car and could change into the S2000.